Lightning select defenseman, goalie in 1st round of Draft

Pittsburgh, PA-- The Tampa Bay Lightning selected defenseman Slater Koekkoek and goaltender Andrei Vasilevsky in the first round of the NHL Draft.

Koekkoek (pronounced KOO-koo) is a 6'2", 184-pound defenseman from the Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey League. He was once considered one of the elite defensemen in the OHL, until he tore the labrum in his left shoulder. He had surgery and missed most of last season. Because of the injury, his ranking among North American skaters plunged to #23.

Andrei Vasilevsky is a Russian goaltender, who was ranked the #1 goaltender in Europe. He's 6'3", 204 pounds, and considered a top athlete.